ON Culture | Free Films, Bowl Season Blooming

This edition of ON Culture was originally emailed to subscribers on February 6, 2026. To receive Leslie Dinaberg’s arts newsletter in your inbox on Fridays, sign up at independent.com/newsletters.

ON the Stage

Our Bowl season is blossoming into another great one, the Santa Barbara Bowl dates are coming in quickly these days, with recent announcements for shows with comedian and Grammy host Trevor Noah (Aug. 1-2) and the return of Tedeschi Trucks Band with special guest Lukas (talented son of Willie) Nelson (Aug. 13) joining the previously announced shows for Disclosure (Apr. 7-8), Charlie Puth (Apr. 25), James Taylor (May 6), and Lord Huron (Jun. 2), as well as David Byrne (Apr. 14), Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias (Jul. 17), Rainbow Kitten Surprise (Jul. 19), Train (Aug. 22), and Jack Johnson (Oct. 3-4). See sbbowl.com/concerts for all of the details. Psst … I can’t give any info yet, but I have it on good authority that September will also be an excellent month to stay in town for great live music. Stay tuned!

PCPA presents ‘Shane’ with, from left, Kevin Asselin, Christen Celaya, René Millán, and Corey Jones | Photo: Mark Velasquez

Shane, the classic western novel from the 1940s, has been adapted for the stage by acclaimed playwright Karen Zacarías (Native Gardens), and the California premiere runs February 12 through March 1 at the Marian Theatre. “Shane is a really interesting moral tale about how do you outrun your past and can you,” stated Zacarías about the show, which takes place when a quiet gunslinger rides into a Wyoming frontier town and kicks up a storm between a ruthless rancher and the settlers and Native families holding their ground. Tickets for Shane can be purchased online at pcpa.org or through the box office at (805) 922-8313.

‘Chinwag’ with Alaina Dean and Matthew Tavianini | Photo: Courtesy

David Starkey’s got a new play, Chinwag (British slang for “a chat”) taking place in the 1970s in the fictional town of Santa Teresa, which looks an awful lot like Santa Barbara. Sue Grafton fans may recognize it from her alphabet series of books as well. The show (on view at TVSB Feb. 13–22) is a collab between Starkey (an Independent contributor and Santa Barbara Poet Laureate emeritus, among other laurels) and artistic director of More Theater/S.B. Meg Kruszewska (who puts on site-specific productions), who got the inspiration when Kruszewska was a guest on Starkey’s TV program, The Creative Community. Maggie Yates has the scoop here. She’s also got a preview peek at ETC’s The Shark Is Broken, which opened at the New Vic this week and runs through Feb. 22. Click here to read all about it.

The Wailin’ Jennys hit the stage of the Lobero on February 12. The impeccable bluegrass harmonizers bring a real reverence to traditional roots music. Then beloved singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega hits that same stage on February 14 (read my interview here). Famed solo acoustic guitarist Leo Kottke is at the Lobero the next night, February 15, making for an excellent week of music at that lovely venue. See lobero.org/whats-on for details.

ON the (Big) Screen

‘Frankenstein’ | Photo: Ken Woroner/Netflix

By the time you read this I’ll be well into my annual film festival frenzy. In addition to the opening of SBIFF McHurley Film Center with state-of-the-art EVERYTHING, I’m also really excited about all of the free films being shown on the big screen at the Arlington during the day. Don’t miss the opportunity to catch Oscar-nominated films like The Secret Agent, One Battle After Another, K-Pop Demon Hunters, Marty Supreme, Sentimental Value, Bugonia, Hamnet, Sinners, Frankenstein, and Train Dreams on the big screen, as they were truly meant to be seen. See my story with all of the details here.

ON the Walls

Artist Phoebe Brunner at home in her studio, with some of the work that’s now on view at Sullivan Goss. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom

“On A Wing and A Prayer II” by Rod Lathim | Photo: Courtesy

Phoebe Brunner, the artist Roger Durling profiled for last week’s cover story, has a stunning show — A Radiant Solitude — up at Sullivan Goss Gallery through March 23. Don’t miss also checking out SBIFF poster artist Baret Boisson’s original work in the window while you’re there. Read my interview with her at independent.com.

Also hitting the downtown gallery scene this week is Rod Lathim’s new solo show, LIT: Love, Illumination, Transcendence, at Art & Soul Gallery through March 1. Read Meaghan Clark Tiernan’s story here.

ON the Calendar

Santa Barbara Symphony celebrates some of cinema’s most romantic scores with the Valentine’s Day weekend (Feb. 14-15) concert of love themes, stories, and songs from Hollywood classics: Out of Africa, Dr. Zhivago, Casablanca, Gone With the Wind, and more! Guest-conducted at The Granada Theatre by Richard Kaufman, audiences can also expect moments of drama and passion drawn from beloved films such as The Godfather and Ghost; whimsy from films like Lady and the Tramp and Young Frankenstein; and even swashbuckling favorites from Pirates of the Caribbean — all curated to reflect the mood and excitement of Valentine’s weekend. Click here for tickets and details.

For a complete calendar of events this week and beyond, visit independent.com/events/.